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Soapnuts: The nut that gets your clothes clean

by Kim, April 13, 2009 at 10:56am

Happily, there are many greener ways to wash your clothes thes days, which are an improvement on the fragrance-, dye- and phosphate-filled potions of yore. Many of these newer, eco-friendlier products come in plastic bottles, however, and are made out of ingredient lists longer than you may be comfortable with.

Is it possible to get your clothes clean with only one organic ingredient that comes responsibly packaged? According to Beth at Fake Plastic Fish, you can with soapnuts, which grow on the soapberry tree. Beth says the company responded quickly to her request for plastic-free packaging, indicating a real commitment to providing a truly green product.

Though the nuts are imported, they come in compostable plastic bags, which cuts down on their carbon footprint. If you wash in cold, the nuts require soaking, though they dissolve in warm or hot water. They don't add extra weight to your laundry bag if you go to the laundromat, and soapnuts are comparable to other green laundry products: about $10 worth of soapnuts will clean 40 loads of laundry.